The University of New Mexico (UNM) School of Medicine (SOM) Department of Surgery is seeking a Surgical Director of the Kidney/solid organ transplantation program. This appointment will be within the Department of Surgery, either in the Division of Urology or General Surgery, dependent upon the specific residency and fellowship training of the candidate. This position is being recruited at the Open Rank level; salary and rank commensurate with qualifications and experience.
We are one of only two kidney transplant centers in New Mexico, the nation's fifth-largest state geographically. We have patients that travel from all over New Mexico, as well as surrounding states, to obtain care at our center. Ours is a diverse patient population, the majority of whom we follow for the life of their graft. Our one-year SRTR date for graft survival is 94% and patient survival is 95%. We have a paired exchange program through the NKR.
The UNM interdisciplinary team consists of 3 surgeons (in Urology), 3 transplant nephrologists, an outpatient NP and inpatient NP, 8 transplant coordinators, a dedicated transplant pharmacist who is also a pharmacist clinician, another clinical pharmacist that manages patients with diabetes, a social worker, dietician, psychologist, financial coordinator, and living donor advocate. The coordinators are involved in outreach and provide education on transplant at the various dialysis units all over the state of New Mexico.
We are planning to expand our program to include pancreas transplant; to that end, experience with pancreas transplantation is preferred. There is strong institutional commitment by the UNM Health System to grow and develop this program.
UNM has significant funded research programs in kidney transplantation access and outcomes. We just received a $3 M NIH award to compare peer navigators to a fast track evaluation for listing in kidney transplant. The transplant group also has studies a) examining living donor transplantation b) exercise interventions in this vulnerable population c) transplant risk failure calculations d) biomarker studies.
The UNM Health Sciences Center is one of only 29 institutions nationally that has both a NIH (NCI) designated Cancer Center (Comprehensive Cancer Center) and a NIH sponsored Clinical and Translational Science Center. We are the only level I ACS Trauma Program in New Mexico. UNMH has 629 beds for adult, pediatric and psychiatric care. A new hospital tower, with state-of-the-art operating rooms and expanded adult critical care capacity, will open in October 2024.
Albuquerque, New Mexico, is a culturally rich and naturally beautiful metropolitan area. It is best known for the annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. New Mexico is the home of two national laboratories, Sandia (in Albuquerque) and Los Alamos. Kirtland Air Force Base also houses the Air Force Research Laboratory. Year-round good weather (more than 300 days of sunshine per year) and easy access to the outdoors (the Sandia mountain wilderness is 20 minutes from UNM) make Albuquerque an incredible area for outdoor enthusiasts. New Mexico has a great diversity in landscapes and wildlife, containing 6 of the 7 "Life Zones" on Earth.
